Collecting Radiation Data with Drones: Flyability Collaborates with Mirion Technologies

Drones for Nuclear Power: Flyability Collaborates with Mirion Technologies to Support Operators

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Swiss drone company Flyability has announced its collaboration with Mirion Technologies, a leading provider of radiation detection, measurement, analysis, and monitoring solutions. The new agreement will see the integration of the Mirion RDS-32™ radiation survey meter into Flyability’s Elios 3 indoor drone, enabling nuclear operators to collect accurate radiation data remotely and allowing nuclear personnel to remain safely outside of irradiated areas during data collection. This data will be available both during flight and afterward, for post-processing.

“Mirion is a leading provider of radiation sensing technology,” said Flyability CEO Patrick Thévoz. “This collaboration will allow Flyability’s customers in the nuclear sector to leverage the very best data collection tools available for their work, helping to significantly reduce the need for workers to be exposed to harmful radiation or to the hazards of confined space entry for the purposes of conducting routine inspections.”

In order to test the use of the Mirion radiation survey meter within the Elios 3 drone, Flyability partnered with the Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), along with multiple Energy companies across the U.S. and Europe. The IEC missiontested the collection of LiDAR and radiation data within a storage vault made to house radioactive waste. The successful operation supplied the necessary data to move forward with detailed planning for waste removal.

“Mirion is excited to collaborate with Flyability to improve radiation safety in nuclear facilities,” said Steve Mettler, Director of Product Management of Mirion Technologies. “The seamless integration of the compact RDS-32 radiation survey meter and the Elios 3 drone enables access to remote areas that otherwise would be hazardous. Mirion’s equipment is widely utilized in nuclear facilities so customers can leverage their current programs and operational familiarity to improve safety.”

Other missions completed alongside leading nuclear power generation companies showcased the capacity to continuously conduct remote radiation surveys with the RDS-32 meter mounted on the Elios 3. Most notably, the equipment was able to locate and characterize hot spots on the turbine deck of a multi-gigawatt plant.

“Over 80% of U.S. nuclear operators already use Flyability’s indoor drones for their visual inspections,” said Alexandre Meldem, Managing Director of the Americas at Flyability Inc. “The ability to provide these customers with top-of-the-line radiation sensing capabilities, via the agreement with Mirion, will significantly help improve their operations, and present an even greater ability to keep engineers safe by reducing their exposure to radiation. We are really looking forward to seeing this partnership flourish.”

Flyability will hold an exhibit at the 2023 National Radiological Emergency Preparedness (NREP) Conference from April 3rd to the 6th in Indianapolis, IN at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis.

Read more:

• Flyability Funding: More than $22 Million for Makers of Elios Indoor Inspection Platform
• For the Dark, Dirty and Dangerous, Flyability Elios 3 LiDAR Drone: Check Out this Fly Through a Decommissioned Nuclear Plant
• Drones for Wastewater Inspection: Flyability and WinCan Partner [VIDEO]
• Flyability Launches Elios 2 RAD for Remote Indoor Radiation Detection by Drone
• Swiss Drone Startup Flyability Snags $8.6 million in VC Funding Round

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.